Los Angeles-based multimedia art project BARA HARI, is creative guise of Samantha Franco, an artist with experience in several different fields ranging from drawing, dance, costume design, graphic design, classical piano, and digital media.
In her work, Franco incorporates all of these elements into her theatrical electronic music project. Originally inspired by the expressiveness of silent films, the project has grown to encompass a larger array of thematic and visual influences.
The name BARA HARI is taken from silent film actress Theda Bara aka “The Vamp” and early 1900s exotic dancer Mata Hari. Two women who used stage names in order to create much more alluring alter egos.
“Pandora’s Box is a collection of songs inspired by deeply personal experiences from loss of relationships, sexuality, isolation, and societal pressures. The sound of the record was inspired by 90s goth with some classical elements. During the making of this album, I was experiencing a great deal of physical pain as I was awaiting a diagnosis for an autoimmune disease. I decided to take up music production as a hobby, having no previous experience. I think the combination of the semi-crude drum kits I had downloaded on my old laptop combined with the intense delivery of the vocals helps to express how I was feeling at the time. My partner, Ian Flux, helped with the production and mixing of this album.
In addition to writing and recording my own songs, I also direct and edit my own videos, shoot and edit my own photos and create some of the clothing that I wear. I am entirely diy at this point and feel that it gives me the ability to control the worlds that I build to support my music. Currently, I am working on more video content and writing and recording my next record. I hope to collaborate with more artists in the future.”
Listen to Bara Hari’s Pandora’s Box EP below and Order Here:
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